Dr. Shabir Ally and Dr. Safiyyah Ally answer a viewer question about the Quran 4:34 and whether it requires wives to obey their husbands. Dr. Shabir Ally explains that unlike the Bible, which clearly commands wives to obey or submit to their husbands, the Quran’s wording is less direct and open to interpretation. The verse begins by describing men as "qawwamun" over women, a term that could mean caretakers, providers, or leaders, depending on interpretation, and may reflect the social context of the time rather than a fixed rule. Later, the verse describes righteous women as "qanitat", often translated as “obedient,” but as Dr. Shabir Ally notes, in the Quran this word consistently refers to obedience to God, not to husbands. Dr. Safiyyah Ally presses him on the practical implications, asking what these verses mean for contemporary marriages and noting the disadvantage women face in having to contend with the weight of classical interpretations. They conclude that while classical scholarship understood the verse as male authority, modern interpretations open the door to egalitarian partnership, mutual consultation, and shared responsibility in marriage, with the key being clarity and agreement between spouses on how they interpret the verse.
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